Finding Each Other
by babyviolets
Summary: It's a special night for Lee Ji Eun and Jo Jung Suk and everything seemed perfect, until the appearance of a person from his past. 3-part series
1. Lost

The constant influx of greetings and felicitations elevated Lee Ji Eun's mood to a new-found state of euphoria. Add to that the beautiful melody coming from a string quartet playing in the background, the reflection of the flashing lights against the numerous crystals on display, and the man standing right beside her who looked absolutely ravishing in the ivory-white tux that matched the colour of her own silk gown gave a somewhat surreal impression to this experience. After four months of dreaming of this night, to have it turn out better than she expected was more than wonderful. It was like living a fantasy!

She turned to look at the man beside her and can't help but notice the hint of unease on his expression. Was he nervous? Worried—but about what? The actual ceremony was over. All that's left is to socialize and wait for the year-end countdown.

She tightened her hold on his arm to catch his attention. He turned to her and, upon seeing her quizzical look, gave her a smile so sweet it heedlessly melted away all her worries.

"There's our favourite couple!" She heard someone bellow out from behind and they both turned around to see Kwon Sang Woo, Son Tae Young, and Jung Woo approaching them.

"Unni!" she exclaimed in greeting and let go of Jo Jung Suk's arm to hug her on-screen sister.

"Aah Soon Shin-ah! I've missed you!" Son Tae Young replied as she hugged her back.

"How was China? When did you come back?"

"Oh, last month actually but I just missed uri Ruk Hee so much, I really didn't do anything but play with him since!"

"That's true. She doesn't even play with me!" Kwon Sang Woo added and everyone else laughed upon seeing the sharp look Son Tae Young shot her husband thereafter.

"By the way, this party really is something now, isn't it? "Jung Woo said as he looked around the ballroom "I mean, I haven't really gone to events like this much but I can tell how extravagant this is."

"Well, I've been to a number of after parties for award shows, but this, by far is the most lavish one I've been to as well." Kwon Sang Woo said in agreement "The sponsors must have had a very good year this year!"

"Cheers to that!" Jung Woo offered and everyone raised their champagne glasses in reply.

"So," Son Tae Young started as she turned her gaze at Lee Ji Eun, then at Jo Jung Suk, then back at her. "Congratulations on getting the best couple award tonight!"

Jung Suk slightly bowed down to accept her greetings, and she followed suit "Ah…yeah…thank you."

"And I see that both of you came together for the after party. Is there anything we should know about?" she added with a hint of mischief in her voice.

At this, Jung Suk let out a nervous laugh "Aniyo. We were just sitting together earlier and I figured we might as well come here together as well, since Yoo In Na-ssi couldn't be here."

She felt her heart sink at his words. It's true that they were purposely seated together at the awards ceremony since they had been nominated for an award together, and it is also true that he only asked her to go with him when he found out that Yoo In Na won't be able to go to the after party, but she still was not prepared to hear the truth said so casually. _Guess the fantasy is over._

She tried her best to maintain her smile as the group exchanged more formalities, but inside, her mind is going on overdrive. Maybe she shouldn't have agreed to go with him after all. It took her such a long time to stop looking for him at every corner. In fact, if she was truly being honest, she never really stopped. But it has already been 4 months since the end of their drama, and though they did maintain constant communication with each other, there was no hint from him that his interest with her was anything more than just friendly. She thought of avoiding him, partly because it hurts too much to know that she alone felt some attraction, but also because she felt guilty for adding some malice to their friendship. Still, how can she avoid him when she can't even stop herself from answering his messages, much less his calls? In the end, she resorted to regressing to their drama characters every time she gets nervous around him.

"Shin Daeyonim!"

Another deep voice interrupted her thoughts and she turned around to see Oh Man Suk come up to them. The two guys gave each other an overly done bear hug and she had to stifle a laugh at the scene.

"Hyung! So good to see you! And who is this? Ah, Gong Junim!"

Only when he addressed her did she notice the person standing behind Oh Man Suk. It was Lee Yoon Ji.

She felt her heartbeat quicken its pace as she saw Lee Yoon Ji walk up to Jo Jung Suk and give him a quick peck on the cheeks. Both had worked together before for another drama and had remained friends since then, which didn't come as a surprise to her as both were naturally amiable. She would know this first hand because she got the chance the work with Yoon Ji too on another drama. Still, seeing them together for the first time made her feel uneasy—and admittedly very jealous.

"Well, if it isn't my cute dongsaeng!" She exclaimed as she turned to her "Wasn't it just yesterday that you were a cute high schooler, and now you're dating your Daepyonim!" she jested as they lightly touched cheeks.

"Ah Gong Junim, don't tease uri Jieunie like that." Jung Suk butted in, slightly tapping on Yoon Ji's shoulders.

"Oh, trust him to always be so overly protective!" she declared as she waved his hand away and everyone laughed in agreement.

"I don't see Yoo In Na-ssi anywhere. Where is she?" Lee Yoon Ji asked after she greeted the rest of the group.

It was Jo Jung Suk who answered "Apparently, Ji Hyun Woo-ssi has been granted special leave today, so she's spending the New Year's Eve with him."

"Aww, that's so sweet! No wonder you two came together."

"What's wrong with that? Can we not come together?" Jung Suk said as he straightened up. He reached out for Ji Eun's hand and casually placed it over his arm. This made Yoon Ji drop her gaze from them, and she can't help but feel triumphant at how taken aback Yoon Ji looked at his casual gesture.

"That's how you treat her after how she practically begged me to come here with her just to greet you?! Ouch!" Oh Man Suk interjected and got hit by Yoon Ji in the process.

"Aigoo…what are you saying in front of Daepyonim's fiancé?" Son Tae Young said while nudging Ji Eun.

"Ahh…she's young, she'll get over it!" Man Suk said with a passive wave "Besides, what would she want with this ahjussi? She's got hundreds of ahjussi fans already!"

"Hey, aren't you one of those ahjussi fans yourself? I still have that message you sent when you found out I was gonna be starring alongside her" Jung Suk retorted as he playfully motioned for his phone.

"Touché!" Oh Man Suk declared, and everyone laughed at their playful banter.

Man Suk then turned to Yoon Ji as soon as the laughter faded away "But seriously, you should make your move fast because, you know, you're not getting any younger…" Oh Man Suk said while his gaze ran over Yoon Ji from head to toe "I mean, another year and your age will officially be off the calendar!"

"Ya! Aren't you just pushing me too hard on Jung Suk-ssi so you can have IU all to yourself?!" Yoon Ji snapped at him.

"Well, actually…" he started as he glided over between Ji Eun and Jung Suk, took her hand from Jung Suk's arms and settled it on his own "Don't we look better?"

"Yes, the perfect Father-Daughter tandem!" Jung Suk retorted while tapping on Man Suk's arms and everyone laughed once again.

"Excuse me—"

They turned around at the timid voice behind them. "I'm Park Min Jung from EDaily. Can I take a photo of the group?"

Everyone lined up for the photo. Other journalists gathered to take their own as well, and soon, a mini photo session was in order as the photojournalists gave one requests over another while the group willingly obliged. They also took couple pictures of Kwon Sang Woo and Son Tae Young, apart from the expected photo requests for Jung Suk and her, since they won the best couple award for the night.

"Jo Jung Suk-ssi, Lee Yoon Ji-ssi…Can we also have a picture of the two of you together?" One member of the small crowd requested and soon everyone else nodded in agreement. She turned to Jung Suk to find him looking at her—as if searching her face for approval—and laughed on the inside at her own delusional thoughts. After all, why would he need approval from her to take a photo with another woman? Slowly, she let go of his arms and stepped to the side, as Lee Yoon Ji took over her place.

Everyone teased both Jung Suk and Yoon Ji at how good they looked together. This time though, Ji Eun could not even bring herself to laugh with the crowd. She understood that they were just joking around, but somehow, it hit a chord with her. Even after being in a drama together for half a year, so many people still cannot get over his initial pairing with Lee Yoon Ji, and more often than not, she finds herself being cast aside when it comes to the public's preference for his pairing. She thought that getting the best couple award meant that people have finally recognized how good they are together but apparently, everyone is still hung up on the Eun-Shin magic.

"Gwenchana, Jieuna?" Jung Suk's soft whisper snapped her out of her thoughts, and only then did she notice that he was back at her side—and how dangerously close he was to her. Still, although he was close enough to get her heart racing once again, it was not enough to take the pain and confusion away. If anything, it only made them worst.

Once again, she took a step away from him. "Yes. I just...need to go to the ladies." Then, she gave a polite nod to the rest of the group before she turned around and walked away from them, and out the ballroom.


	2. The Search

Once outside, she didn't head for the toilet. Instead, she just walked further ahead. She wanted to get away from there, but she didn't want to completely leave either. She just needed time to get her act together again so that she would not appear to be too pathetic in front of everybody. They already think that she's too young as it is, she didn't want to validate their thoughts by portraying herself as someone with a childish crush.

She went on walking aimlessly on the hotel lobby, although she made sure to appear like she knew where she was going so people who recognize her won't think anything much of it. She had not realized just how far she had gone until she found herself on the other side of the hotel—where its indoor pool area is located.

It was already a quarter to midnight, so pool restrictions were already imposed. But even without it, everyone else was busy with their respective year-end celebration to bother taking a dip at this time. Thankfully though, the pool area is enclosed almost entirely out of glass—from its walls to its orbed ceiling—so even without any lights on, the moonlight, as well as the lights from the posts on the snow-covered garden outside, provided the area with enough lighting for her to find her way around the place. In fact, it gave the room a somewhat dreamlike, almost magical, appearance—especially with the way the moon was reflected over the pool waters.

She slipped off her shoes, gathered the ends of her gown between her legs, and sat by the edge of the pool, allowing her legs to submerge into the water. Thankfully, the pool heating system is still at work, otherwise she would've dipped her feet into negative temperatures.

Now that she was alone, her mind was clearer, although her heart was nowhere near settled. She knew she shouldn't be feeling like this but she just couldn't help it. Despite taking pride in herself for mostly being a very logical person, all her logic seemed to fail when it comes to him. She could not help but fall for him, could not help but want him near her—could not help but want him all to herself and feel insecure at every girl he smiles at.

Worst part is she could not even hate Lee Yoon Ji for being close to him. After all, they are friends and have known each other far longer than she had known him. They were even involved in a scandal together, just because of their close relationship and the way they call each other by their drama character's names. She heaved a painful sigh as another realization hit her. _He still calls her princess, but he never once called me Soon Shin off the set._

Besides, what's there to hate about Lee Yoon Ji? She's a really warm person—probably one of the nicest people she ever got the chance to work with. She is super talented—with great acting chops and a penchant for music. Also, it would make sense for them to be close. She and Jung Suk have a closer age gap, so they probably have more things in common with each other. Both have also been involved in theatre, so they hang around the same crowd as well. The more she thinks about it, the more natural it seemed to her for those two to end up falling for each other, and by the way Yoon Ji acted earlier, chances are it may have already happened.

Her heart sank at the thought and she felt the first sign of tears forming along the rim of her eyes. Quickly, she took out some tissue from her purse and dabbed the corners of her eyes with it, careful not to smudge her make up. She should really get a hold of herself. She had no right to cry over this matter. After all, it was not anyone's fault that she harboured some unrequited love for the man. No, the fault was all hers.

"There you are! I wondered what took you so long."

She turned around to see Jung Suk approaching her. _No, not right now…not while her heart is still in this indecipherable mess._ She quickly tucked away the used tissue into her purse and fixed her hair.

"Oh, you know. The place was getting a bit stuffy, so I came here to take a breather."

"You should've told me. I would've gone with you." He replied as he squat right by her side.

"Oh, I didn't want to keep you away from your friends. You must've missed them a lot, after being away for so long while filming." _Don't lose your cool, Lee Ji Eun_ She reminded herself as she bit her lower lip to stop them from quivering.

"Oh, that's not important. I could always—"he stopped midsentence, just as he turned to face her. "Jieuna, is something the matter?"

"Oh, nothing really." she tried to cover her pain with a timid laugh "I just felt a bit nostalgic, that's all. Especially now that the awards show is over, I no longer have anything in line for Soon Shin. I feel like I have no choice but to let go of her"

_No choice but to let go of you._

Jung Suk nodded as he shifted his gaze ahead unto the empty pool waters, seemingly oblivious to her own painful thoughts. "That's good. You should definitely start to shed off Soon Shin's character. After all, you're stronger—better—than her."

She snorted "I'm not so sure about that." _At least, I'm definitely not braver_. She thought to herself before turning to him "How about you, Daepyonim? Have you already let go of Shin Jun Ho?"

He gave a low chuckle "Shin Jun Ho is not who I would like to hold on to."

"Oh, I see…" his crude honesty has always amazed her. Now, it just hurts. "I guess he's nothing compared to pure idealistic Eun Shi Kyun huh? No wonder you still can't get over your princess." She said, trying to pass it off as a joke, but as soon as she said it, she felt the tears start pooling again in her eyes. She immediately turned her gaze at the glass orb ceiling to keep the tears from falling down.

"That's not—" he started before his voice trailed off, and she didn't know what hurt the most—him being overly defensive about it, or him not even being able to make an excuse.

A few stray fireworks started to show, lighting up the otherwise starless night sky "We better go back, or we might miss the countdown" She said as she momentarily turned away from him to wipe the tears that have escaped her eyes, before she started to get up.

"Wait—"

She was already on her knees when his deep soft voice stopped her from her tracks. "Before we go back, can I ask you one thing?"

She didn't answer, but she didn't move either. For a moment, neither one of them did. Both remained silent while a few more loose fireworks were heard from a distance. Then he cleared his throat.

"Those tears" he started, "are those Lee Soon Shin's or Lee Ji Eun's?"


	3. Found

She froze at his words. Did she hear him right? Does that mean he knew all along? Were her feelings that apparent and laughable? She tried to cover up her panic with feigned ignorance as a hundred more questions came to her. "What do you mean—"

"Let's not play games now, Jieuna."

_So he knew._ She thought as she slumped back to the floor. Apparently, she wasn't as subtle as she had liked to believe. "Does it really matter?" she said in a resigned tone.

"Yes." He replied curtly.

"Wae?"

"Because…" He took one big breath before he finally turned to look at her. "It's because you always end up calling me Daepyonim when we're alone…and that makes me feel that your affection for me is nothing more than an extension of your feelings for our characters."

"But you do that with Yoon Ji-ssi all the time, calling her Gong Junim…"

"That's different! Yoon Ji and I are friends, and that's how we tease each other. But we…I mean, you…" His voice trailed off by the end, and he once again dropped his gaze.

She looked at him all confused at his nervousness. Was she not the one who got caught with a crush? Don't guys usually gloat in cases like this? Why, then, did he look more dejected than smug. "Daepyo…"

"Shin Jun Ho is gone." He cut her off before she could say anything more. But contrary to the command that could be heard from his voice, he appeared restless. Somehow, this only affected Ji Eun more as she felt her heartbeat start to pick up its pace. "A part of him died every time I got to know Lee Ji Eun a bit more—her smile, her tears..." He paused for a moment to look at her and wipe the remnants of tears from her face"…the feel of her lips" he added as his fingers traced her lower lip. Their eyes met and for a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her, but then he dropped his gaze and let her go.

"By the end of the drama, I was all too eager to shed off the character. That way, you can finally get to know me…so you can finally see me as I am."

Her heartbeat was racing so fast now, as memories of their time together went by her in a flash. His overprotectiveness of her, his concern, his constant presence—how could she have missed it? How could she have not understood his heart? All this time—those messages, those visits, those late-night calls—it was him reaching out to her. All this time, she was the one pushing him away. All this time, he was hurting so much because she was too caught up with her own fears to open up to him. "What are you saying…oppa? I know you…I see you!" she said in a pleading tone as she instinctively reached out for him.

"Yes—as a character, performer, colleague, and maybe even a friend—but never as a man."

_Never as a man? No Oppa, I have always seen you as a man—only I was too much of a coward to show it._

He gently took her hand that was resting on his knee, and squeezed it, "I've told myself to wait until you can separate me from my character—or until your feelings for your Shin Daepyonim are gone. But frankly, I've never been a patient person. So…"

His voice trailed off and both of them were silent for a moment. Then he took one long breath, shifted to face her, and said "If those tears are Soon Shin's, I'm sorry but Shin Jun Ho no longer exists, and the man in front of you can only see one person."

"But if they are yours, then let me wipe them for you. I can't promise that you'll never get hurt, and I can't promise to make it all better for you. All I can do is stand beside you and hope that it's enough, if you'd let me…"

His eyes—she had never seen such vulnerability from anyone before. He stayed motionless while searching her face for her answer, and her heart ached for him so much that it's virtually shouting its response. Yet, her mind was still afraid to take that step forward. "What about Yoon Ji-ssi?"

"What? Why?"

"Well, she obviously likes you…"

"I just confessed to you. Do you want me to reject her again in front of you?"

"No, that's not it…" Suddenly her doubts seemed stupid. The problem wasn't Lee Yoon Ji—it was her and her fear of appearing vulnerable in front of this man. The same man who had bravely opened up his feelings to her just moments ago. She turned to his earnest face again and can't help but feel somewhat intimidated at his courage. If she could not even let go of her reservations for him, then she does not deserve him, and by God, she'll be damned if she lets go of him—of a chance for happiness—because of her silly fears. She took a deep breath to help her gather her resolve. "But…moya! What confession are you talking about? I didn't hear any confession at all." she said while trying her best to control her giddiness.

For a moment, he looked dumbfounded at her sudden defiance. Then his expression softened up and he let out another low chuckle, which did nothing to appease her already flailing heart. His gaze dropped at the hand he was holding and he squeezed it again. "Such small hands…" he said passively as he placed his other hand over it. "Will you let me stay and hold this hand forever?"

Then he looked back at her and in that moment where their eyes met, she knew that regardless of whatever doubts or fears she have now or may have in the future, her answer will always stay the same. "Jieuna, Choayo…Saranghaeyo. Will you let me stay and call you mine?"

She held her breath at his words. She had dreamt of this moment so many times in the past, but she never imagined for reality to actually feel more unbelievably wonderful than her dreams. She searched for the best way to respond—but he and her own erratic heart has rendered her speechless.

"Pabo" she whispered—for it was all she could say.

"Huh?"

"Pabo Ya!" she repeated, more forcefully this time. Then she smiled at him, and his face instantly lit up.

"Ya! I said so much and all you can say is pabo?" He said, still with a pleading tone.

"Well, what else can I say to someone who thought I was only in love with his alter-ego?"

This flustered him. "You can always accept his feelings by telling him you love him."

"Do I have to say that? You already know what I'm going to say anyway." she said, tearing her gaze away from him. On another part of the hotel, she could hear a faint voice gathering the crowd for the year-end countdown.

"Jieuna, look at me." He said softly. "I don't read minds, and I can only be so sure of how I feel. So I need to hear from you whether you want me to stay or not."

From a distance, the crowd was slowly chanting with the host for the final countdown, but their shouts are nothing compared to the deafening beat of her own heart. She hesitantly looked up to meet his gaze, and once again, his eyes gave her the strength she needed. "I…stay."

_Ten…_

_Nine…_

_Eight…_

The corners of his mouth slowly curled up into a smile "Wae?"

_Six…_

_Five…_

_Four…_

"Because I…"

_Two…_

_One…_

"…I love you—"

She hardly got to finish when she felt his lips crush hers, and her mind went blank at the sudden sensation. He pulled her closer, placing one hand on her nape to deepen the kiss and it took everything she had just to hold on to him. There was something about the urgency of his kiss that was intoxicating and in no time she found herself responding with the same amount of need.

A sudden multitude of colours could be seen across the heavens as hundreds of fireworks are off to welcome the New Year, together with the resounding cheers and well wishes that could be heard echoing within the hotel premises and beyond. But all of that was lost on two people who found something more brilliant than the kaleidoscope of colours that blanket the earth at that very moment.

They found each other.


End file.
